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3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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Rating: 4/5
Pages: 320
Summary:
With the goal of inspiring his children, researcher Paul Kix presents a dynamic and engaging account of the key players and events in the fight for Civil Rights in Birmingham, Alabama. From Martin Luther King Jr. to Fred Shuttlesworth, from children blasted with fire hoses to children imprisoned for peacefully marching, Kix frames the narrative of Birmingham as pivotal to the Civil Rights movement as a whole.
Thoughts:
This book presented history in its (in my opinion) most palatable form: as a narrative. Of course the details and historical facts were accurate, and the analysis was obviously coming from one person's perspective, but the narrative was built in a way that made the story logistically accessible and emotionally touching. The story was easy to follow; even without a mind for details it was not hard to get an understanding for the dynamic between key players in the events the book covered, which was very cool and something that plainer explanations of history sometimes miss. I do think it's interesting and important to note that the author of this book was White, but also important to acknowledge that it seemed to be a credible and sympathetic piece of investigative journalism bringing attention to the Civil Rights movement. I am glad I read this book, and recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and person-centric look at an important moment in the Civil Rights movement.